“Go to crazy places — you’ll meet crazy people,” says the ever-smiling Italian Dino Bonelli, one of my tent companions and running partners. He’s talking about me, himself and the other 75 or so competitors. The place in question is somewhere in the middle of the desert in Oman. We’re halfway through a six-day race from the village of Bidiyah to the Arabian Sea: 165km (102 miles) across soft sand in heat close to 40C and carrying all our provisions on our backs. It’s hard to deny that it’s a little crazy.

“疯狂的地方——就能碰到疯狂的人。”始终面带笑容的意大利人迪诺娠蕓利(Dino Bonelli)说。他是我的帐蓬宿友与长跑搭档。他指的“疯子”是我与他以及其他约75名参赛者，所说的“疯狂地方”就是位于阿曼沙漠腹地。从Bidiyah村到阿拉伯海(Arabian Sea)总共6天、全程为165公里（约102英里）的赛程，我们已跑完了一半，而且是在背负所有个人物资、在近40摄氏度的高温下穿越松软的沙漠。不能否认，这实属疯狂。

The third Oman Desert Marathon began earlier this month after a ceremonial dance by the villagers of Bidiyah, wearing white robes with swords and iPhones tucked inside their belts. We then shuffled off, laden with our backpacks along 100m of road before we hit the sand. Ten minutes later, leaving the outskirts of the village, we headed into the desert and left all signs of human life behind for the next six days.

第三届阿曼沙漠马拉松赛(The third Oman Desert Marathon)于11月初拉开帷幕，Bidiyah村村民身穿白色长袍、腰里别着剑与iPhones，为我们表演了象征开赛的舞蹈。我们随后开跑，背着行囊沿公路跑了大约100米就进入了沙漠地带。10分钟后，就彻底离开Bidiyah村地界，向沙漠深处跑去，接下来的6天完全与尘世隔离。

The first 10km are fairly steady going. My bag is heavy, but the design of these running packs is so clever they hardly inhibit your movement. I grind my way to the first checkpoint where we get to refill our water bottles.

最初的10公里我跑得还算稳定。我的背囊很沉，但它们设计得颇为精巧，所以几乎不影响行进。我努力跑到第一个服务点，在这儿给水壶补充饮水。

The sand until now has been the fine sand you get on a beach in the UK. I’d spent weeks telling people it wouldn’t be like this. I’d imagined running along tracks made hard by cars, or on firm, baked, dry earth. I didn’t believe we’d be sent across such soft sand. But then, after the water stop, we head up into the dunes, and it gets a lot, lot harder. Like traversing sand dunes in England, but higher and with the sun much hotter, holding you as if in a vice and slowly squeezing you, wringing you dry, both your body and spirit.

此时沙漠里的沙子已经变成了类似英国海滩的那种细砂。几周来，我一直告诉同伙实际情况不会是像今天这样的。我自己曾想象过跑在被汽车反复辗压后的、或是太阳长时间炙烤过的干硬路面上。我认为不会在如此松软的沙地上进行比赛。但过了第一个服务点后，我们就进入了沙丘地带，沙路面要比先前坚硬得多。这与在英国穿越沙丘大同小异，但是此地的沙丘更高、太阳也更为毒辣，自己如同被老虎钳夹着一般，不断受到挤压，仿佛一点点要把你的灵与肉拧干。

A veteran of six marathons, I had watched with interest as friends took on increasingly extreme challenges. As marathon running has become more popular, almost commonplace, the so-called “ultra” scene has blossomed. The calendar is filling up with outlandish events — 50-mile runs, even 100 miles, or cycle rides and triathlons of even more epic proportions — and a new type of holiday has evolved in which competitors travel across the world to tackle them. Many events employ a lottery system to cope with the deluge of entries. The Oman Desert Marathon is a relatively newcomer, first held in 2013, and a low-key alternative to Morocco’s Marathon des Sables, which now attracts almost 1,500 runners.

作为跑过6项马拉松赛事的老手，我曾兴致勃勃地看着好友参加极限运动。随着马拉松赛跑的普及（如今差不多常态化了），所谓的“极限”赛事也是遍地开花。如今，每年的极限型赛事安排得满满当当（50英里长跑、甚至100英里长跑、或是自行车大赛以及更为恐怖的铁人三项赛），新型度假方式也随之应运而生——休假期间，参赛者不远万里前去参赛。很多赛事于是借助抽签系统以应对蜂拥而至的参赛者。阿曼沙漠马拉松赛是设立不久的赛事，首届赛事于2013年举办，与参赛者近1.5万人的摩洛哥撒哈拉沙漠地狱马拉松赛(marathon des sables)相比，实在是小巫见大巫。

I was drawn not just by the athletic trial but by the idea of spending a week crossing the desert, cut off from the world, being flung headfirst into the experience, needing to cope with the environment rather than being carried across it in comfort in a 4x4 or even on a camel. Realising a more direct relationship with the natural world, rather than simply admiring it from afar, is a common motivation, says Dr Eric Brymer, lecturer in exercise and sports science at Manchester Metropolitan University and a researcher into the wellbeing benefits of extreme sports. “People who complete these extreme events tap into something deeper in themselves,” he says. “As a result, they gain a better understanding of who they are.”

我深深被此项赛事吸引，并非仅仅是由于它考验体能极限，而是可以花一周时间穿越沙漠、远离尘世喧嚣、尽情忘我地体验，而且自己需要随时应对险象环生的沙漠环境而不是搭乘4冲程汽车或是骑着骆驼舒舒服服地穿越沙漠。艾里克布里默博士(Dr Eric Brymer)曾说：可以亲历而非远观大自然是投身极限运动最常见的动因。“极限赛事完成者深入了解了自己的潜力，”他说，“因此，他们对自己有更好的了解。”艾里克布里默博士是曼彻斯特城市大学(Manchester Metropolitan University)教授体育与运动科学的教师，同时又是研究极限运动身心健康的研究员。

I guess I’m also hoping to emerge at the other end a changed person, to learn something about myself from such an extreme challenge. But I still have a lot of running to do.

我也希望自己完成极限赛事后，能面目一新，对自己有更深了解。但我距离这个目标仍任重而道远。

I keep thinking firmer ground will come, but on the dunes go, up and down, the sand getting ever softer. I’m mostly walking by the end of the first day’s 21km stage, but even this is hard work. No one overtakes me, though, so I presume they’re all walking too.

我不断在想硬质沙地很快就会出现，但翻过一座座起伏的沙丘，却发现沙质越发松软。第一天21公里的赛段临近终点时，我差不多是以走代跑，但即便如此也异常艰辛。尽管这样，没人在这期间追上我，因此我认定其他选手也是以走代跑。

At the finish, a camp is already set up: large Berber tents with one side open. We share our tent with the same people each day and a camaraderie develops over the week. For many, this is part of the attraction of these races. I find myself in a tent with mostly Italians — one the mother of a Premier League footballer — as well as a Belgian bioengineer, a bubbly South African and a British military man. I flop down in the shade, happy to be finished, hoping for a firmer road tomorrow.

抵达终点后，露营地已搭建完毕：柏柏人(Berber)的大帐篷一面大开着。我们每天的宿友是固定的，在一周时间里，彼此也就慢慢建立了友情。对于很多人来说，这也是这些赛事的魅力所在。我发现多数室友是意大利人，除此之外，我的宿友还包括一位英超球员的母亲、一位比利时生物工程师、一位性格开朗的南非人以及一位英国军人。我在帐篷阴凉处倒地而睡，深为自己完成首个赛段高兴，并寄希望于明天能是硬质沙地。

But day two is more of the same. And day three. Every day, in fact, brings the same soft dunes rising up and down. Flags mark the way and are sometimes so far in the distance it seems you will never reach the next one. Then you get there, cresting the dune, to spy the next flag in the distance, and your legs need to move on, running where you can, walking where you can’t. The worst is when the sand appears firm and you start running, only for your legs to give way as you hit more soft sand. It happens again and again.

但接下来的两天，沙路毫无改观，第三天仍是依然如故。事实上每一天的赛段都是起伏的松软沙丘。旗帜标示着方向，但有时彼此之间距离间隔太远，自己似乎感觉永远无法企及。待跑到插在沙丘顶的标识旗杆时，却突然发现远处的下一竿标旗，于是继续费劲挪动步子，在能跑的地方跑，跑不了的地方则步行。最糟糕的是沙子看似坚硬，自己于是开跑，结果却踩到松软沙子，此时的大腿却不听使唤了。这类情况接二连三发生。

Slowly, I learn to read the sand, to see which bits are harder. Tiny stones seem to indicate firmer sand. Camel footprints are a good sign, too. The camels seem to know the best routes through the dunes.

渐渐地，我学会了如何辨别沙质，哪些为硬质沙粒堆。内含碎石表明沙地更为坚硬，骆驼脚印也是很好的标识物。骆驼似乎清楚如何以最佳路线穿越沙丘地带。

The bags get lighter each day as we eat more of the freeze-dried meals and protein bars we are carrying. Packing as much in the way of calories into as little space as possible is the trick, but doesn’t leave much room for taste or variety.

我们每天不断消耗随身携带的冻干食物与蛋白块，身上的背囊也就变得越来越轻。尽管在狭小的背囊内尽可能多装高热量食品是诀窍，但也就难以再兼顾食品种类与口味了。

After day four I seem to be adapting. Standing around in the camp before the fifth and longest stage, at 26 miles, 385 yards (42.2km), exactly the length of a marathon, the organisers read out a list of the top 20 runners so far. These 20 get to start two hours after everyone else. My name is on the list.

跑完第四天，我似乎适应了这一切。第五天的赛程是最长的一段，长达26英里385码（约42.2公里），完全等同于马拉松赛。比赛前，我们在帐篷里围站成一圈，组织方念了截止目前为止前20名选手的名字。这些选手将晚出发两小时，我也名列其中。

I’m feeling pretty proud of myself as we sit, the elite group, preparing to hit the long stage. We waved the others off and returned to our tents to finalise our preparations. Water bottles are filled, electrolytes added, blisters treated, sun cream applied, gaiters (to stop the sand getting in our shoes) attached. The air is charged. This is serious now. The leading male runners are Moroccans and Jordanians, people used to the desert, though the women’s race is led by Swedish runner Elisabet Barnes (who also won this year’s Marathon des Sables). She laughs when I ask how she does it. “There is a technique for running on sand,” she says. But it’s too late to learn it now. Day five is off and running.

坐在优秀选手阵营等待时，我深感自豪。我们挥手送别其他选手后，回到帐篷做最后的准备工作：给水壶灌满水、补充电解质、处理脚上起的水泡、涂抹防晒霜以及缠好护腿（防止鞋子进沙子）。空气里弥漫着紧张气氛，真正的较量开始了。领跑的男选手是摩洛哥人与约旦人，他们从小就适应沙漠环境，尽管领跑的女选手是瑞典人伊丽莎白巴恩斯（Elisabet Barnes，她也是今年的摩洛哥撒哈拉沙漠地狱马拉松赛冠军）。我问她成功秘诀时，她笑着回答道：“在沙地跑步有技巧。”但此时临时抱佛脚显然已无济于事。第五天的比赛开始了！

Being in the fast group has its disadvantages. I’m soon drifting off the back of the race, running on my own. This is also the night stage so, as the last runner, I get my own police escort, driving behind me.

身居快组也有不利因素。我很快就掉队，形单影只；这又是夜跑赛段，由于我落到了最后，因此警察开着警车在后面一路护卫。

This is the picture-book desert of your imagination, with scorpions, snakes and camels, jutting, windblown dunes and shimmering heat. The only mirages, however, are the words of the organisers, who each day tell us the course will be easier, when, in fact, every day it gets harder. Before the fifth stage, they had told us the sand would get firmer after 10km, but instead it becomes even softer, like leg-sucking quicksand. As darkness falls I find myself struggling to move. With only the small circle of light from my headtorch to follow, it grows hard to tell if I’m going uphill or down. The slower I go, the more I curse the organisers for their misinformation. I get angry at everything — the bush that scrapes my leg, the solar-powered lights marking the course that have dimmed to almost nothing.

这就是自己想象中图画书中的沙漠世界：蝎子、蛇与骆驼、大风吹就的沙丘以及扑面而来的阵阵热浪。但唯一的“幻景”就是组织方每天给我们灌的迷魂汤：后续赛段会更容易跑；而事实上艰难程度日甚一日。在第五天赛程开始前，组织方说10公里后的赛段会是硬质沙路，然而沙面却越来越松软，就如同吞噬双脚的流沙。夜幕降临时分，我仍在咬牙跑着。仅仅借助头灯的微弱圆光，我无法判断前方是上坡路还是下坡路。我跑得越慢，心里就越骂组织方的胡说八道。此时的我见啥都是气不打一处来——不管是擦伤大腿的灌木还是已经无比昏暗的太阳能赛段标示灯。

If I’m going to make it, I need to stay positive. I try talking to myself, coaxing myself to keep moving. But it’s no use. In my head a switch has gone off. The desire to continue has expired. Yet this is the point of greatest challenge — the reason, in many ways, all of us are here. I stop and look up at the dazzling night sky, gathering myself, listening to my breath.

但要完成赛段，我就得给自己打气。我不断自言自语，鼓励自己跑下去，但却无济于事。我思想上已打了退堂鼓，已经无心恋战。然而，这正是极限挑战的意义所在——也就是我们参加这项赛事的原因所在。我停下来，仰望繁星满天的夜空，再次提振精神，凝听自己的呼吸声。

Only by staying in the present, by forgetting my time, my position, the finish even, can I get moving again. One step at a time. Before I know it, I’m back up and running, focusing intently on the bobbing circle of light from my headtorch. The sloshing of the water in my bottle becomes a drum beating a rhythm to run to. Eventually, I get there.

我只有现在坚持，把时间、名次甚至终点都抛至九霄云外，才能一步一个脚印继续前行。豁然开朗后，我又开始踏上征程，心无旁骛地专注于头灯照在地上、上下摆动的小光圈，水壶里晃动的水则犹如有节奏的战鼓激励着我。工夫不负有心人，我终于成功抵达了终点。

When I get back to my tent, long past midnight, Dino and Rob, the Briton, realising how shattered I am, untie my shoes and make up my recovery drink for me before returning to their sleeping bags. I can’t thank them enough.

回到帐篷休息时，时间早已过了午夜。迪诺与英国佬罗布(Rob)见我精疲力竭，帮我脱掉鞋子、添满水壶后，才钻进睡袋休息。我对此感激涕零。

In Kenya I recently ran a marathon on dusty trails, in hot temperatures and at an altitude of 5,500ft, in three hours, 17 minutes. Today, the same distance took me seven hours, 35 minutes.

前一阵子，我顶着酷暑、耗时3个小时17分钟，在肯尼亚海拔5500英尺的尘土飞扬的小路上跑完一次马拉松。但今天，同样的距离我耗时长达7小时35分钟。

After 10 hours out on the course, one Italian runner suffers the added misfortune of stepping on a scorpion when he finally gets back to his tent. Luckily the medics are on hand to treat him and he is back running the final stage of the race the next morning.

一位意大利选手耗时10小时艰难完成赛段返回帐篷时，祸不单行地又踩到了蝎子。好在现场医生及时施救，他可以归队参加第二天一大早的最后一个赛段。

Why do we do this? It’s a question that returns repeatedly during my six days of running. Nick Mead, a veteran of many ultra marathons, says he runs because modern life is too easy, too comfortable, and he craves something more challenging.

我们参加极限赛事图什么呢？在6天的赛程中，这个问题不断萦绕在我的脑海中。多次参加极限马拉松的老手尼克猠德(Nick Mead)曾说自己之所以参加，是因为现代生活太过舒适与安逸，他渴望更大的人生挑战。

“Once I’d done a marathon in under three hours,” he says, “I needed a new challenge. Getting faster didn’t seem as interesting. Ultra running is more of an adventure, running through the night, alone. It’s a far more intense experience.”

“我一旦在3小时内跑完马拉松，”他说，“我就需要新的挑战。我在意的似乎并不是跑得更快。极限赛跑更像是一场历险，孤身一人在黑夜中奔跑，它最为惊险刺激。”

Ian Corless, who produces the Talk Ultra podcast, says he graduated to ultra marathons from triathlons and Ironman races. “When people asked me why I stopped competing in Ironmans,” he says, “I told them: ‘I wasn’t frightened any more.’ I knew I could finish. I needed to feel I was pushing myself beyond my limits. I love going into the unknown, and then getting to the finish and feeling, wow, I did it. All those feelings you got when you first finished a marathon come back, but with bells on.”

Talk Ultra播客创建者伊恩科利斯(Ian Corless)说，自己从铁人三项赛“升级”至了极限马拉松赛。“当初有人问我为何不再参加铁人赛，”他说，“我回答道：‘本人已不再有恐惧感。’我知道自己有能力完成赛事，我需要不断超越自我极限的感觉。我喜欢挑战未知领域，一鼓作气完成后对自己说：哇塞，我真的做到了！此时，跑完自己首个马拉松后的所有感受都涌上心头，但满怀激情。”

One of my fellow competitors in Oman, 65-year-old Gudrun Dautel from Germany, looks broken when I see her after one day’s racing. I ask her why she does these races. “I don’t know,” she says. “I have such a nice home.”

与我一起参加阿曼沙漠马拉松赛的同伴中，还有一位名叫古德龙多泰尔(Gudrun Dautel)的德国老太太，她已是65岁高龄，跑完第一天后，我发现她已是精疲力竭，于是问她参加的原因。她回答说：“我没想到自己有这么美满幸福的家庭。”

Her husband, Hansmartin, 68, chips in: “Because we have a nice home.”

这时，她68岁的老公汉斯马丁(Hansmartin)也插话说：“因为我们有个幸福美满的家庭。”

In fact, everyone I speak to has the same reason at heart: the need to reach beyond the realms of their everyday existence. To reach deep inside themselves. To be challenged.

事实上，我问的每个人内心都有着相同的理由：需要超越日常生活的领域，直入内心世界以及接受挑战。

“It’s still nice to get back home,” says Mead. “That first night back in a bed, with clean sheets, a shower — it feels like luxury. You appreciate everything so much more.”

“回到家后依然感觉很爽。”米德说，“回到家后的第一天晚上，洗完热水澡后睡在床上，看着整洁的床单——感觉是超级享受。你会对一切心存感激。”

The Oman race finishes at the beach. After six days of ploughing through the sand, it is a joy beyond words to cast off my backpack and run into the gentle waves and just float there, knowing I’ll never have to run through sand ever again...甠渀氀攀猀猀 I’m crazy enough to do another race like this again one day. Back in the tent, Dino has a long list and is already planning.

阿曼马拉松赛的终点设在海滩。经过在沙漠的6天艰难跋涉，扔掉背囊、一头扎进大海的温柔乡尽情随波逐流，知道此等赛事此生再也与自己无缘了……直到有朝一日，自己再次萌生参赛的疯狂念头。回到帐篷休息时，迪诺早已又有新规划了。

Adharanand Finn is the author of ‘The Way of the Runner’ (Faber & Faber)

亚德哈罗南德芬恩是《跑男的激情生活》(The Way of the Runner)一书的作者，该书由Faber & Faber出版社出版。

Next year’s Oman Desert Marathon runs from November 4 to 12; for details seelawrenceofarabia.com. The ㄠ,200 entry fee is refunded for those who raise 2,500 for Facing Africa (facingafrica.org), a charity providing surgery for children disfigured by noma, a facial disease

明年的阿曼沙漠马拉松赛比赛时间是11月4-12日。详情请浏览seelawrenceofarabia.com网站。每位选手若能为Facing Africa（网址：facingafrica.org）筹措2500英镑的善款，组委会将退还1200欧元的赛事报名费。Facing Africa是一家专为患走马疳而惨遭毁容的非洲儿童实施手术治疗的慈善团体。